State of the Unions: the rise of unionisation in games workplaces

Over the past decade, video game industry unions have proliferated worldwide, addressing harsh working conditions and management failures. Notable actions include SAG-AFTRA’s strike for voice actors’ pay and AI safeguards, ZeniMax workers’ protests over remote work and outsourcing, and union-led demonstrations outside major studios such as Rockstar Games and Ubisoft. The trend reflects a fundamental shift from near-absence of union discussions to active organizing across 15 countries and 130 groups, with workers now asking which sectors will unionize next rather than whether unionization is necessary.

At Ubisoft’s French studios, union presence has grown from none five years ago to nearly every company now having representation in workers’ councils. This shift has matured social dialogue but contrasts with broader industry instability in France, where major studios face bankruptcy or layoff plans. Meanwhile, the Polish Gamedev Workers Union, formed two years ago, operates in ten studios but faces legal hurdles due to outdated Polish labor laws favoring employers, limiting unions’ roles despite successes in layoff representation and legal aid.

Games unions have delivered tangible wins, including four-day work weeks, pay increases, hybrid work arrangements, AI protections, and six-hour workdays. They have also reduced layoffs, stopped harassment, and secured compensation for mistreated workers. Union representatives report successfully challenging disciplinary actions, improving redundancy terms, and enforcing legal compliance on issues like disability accommodations and neurodiversity support.

Microsoft’s recent contract with 1,900 Blizzard workers, negotiated with the Communications Workers of America, secured hybrid work, AI protections, recall rights, above-industry severance, and up to 34% wage increases. Unions are increasingly pressuring companies to engage seriously, with executives conceding more as worker power grows. AI protections are highlighted as a critical issue, with unions countering corporate narratives of stability amid industry-wide instability fueled by AI investments.